Typically, the information available from the Internet is found via web sites and servers and is accessed via a web browser executing on a web client (e.g., a computer). For example, a web user can deploy a web browser and access a web site by entering the web site Uniform Resource Locator (URL) into an address bar of a web browser and pressing the enter key on a keyboard or clicking a “go” button with a mouse. The URL typically includes three pieces of information that facilitate access: a protocol (set of rules and standards for the exchange of information in computer communication) string, a domain name (often based on the name of an organization that maintains the web site), and a path to the desired document on that site. In some instances, the user knows, a priori, the name of the site or server, and/or the URL to the site or server that the user desires to access. In such situations, the user can access the site, as described above, via entering the URL in the address bar and connecting to the site. However, in most instances, the user does not know the URL or the site name. Instead, the user employs a search function to facilitate locating information based on keywords provided by the user.
The user can enter keywords into a general search engine, which will search the World Wide Web and return sites that it determines to be related to the keywords. Often, however, the general search engine will return sites that are wholly unrelated to the particular interests of the user. The user is forced to scroll through the returned sites and attempt to determine if they are related to their interests. This scrolling task, however, can be extremely time-consuming and frustrating to the user because a substantial number of sites can be returned when performing a search. The user can attempt to narrow the search via utilizing a combination of Boolean operators, but it can be difficult to construct an appropriate Boolean search that will result in a return of sites containing relevant information.
As difficult as searching for relevant websites can be, users, however, typically prefer to find information directly in response to a search query rather than searching for and reviewing a list of websites. For example, a user might ask “how long did the War of 1812 last?” A typical search engine will return a list of URLs/search results, with associated text snippets describing the document but not containing an explicit answer for the question. It is generally left up to the user to visit each result to find the answer to their question. This is often frustrating for users who are looking for a direct response to their queries. Most users do not have the time to visit each result hoping to obtain the correct answer. The Internet contains an enormous amount of valuable information, but its value can be increased even more by providing easy and quick answers to user questions.